AnimeCon Harem 16: Epilogue pt K2 (Patreon)

“He fucking got jumped by a bunch of guys!” Emily all but snarled. “Chloe like, started some shit with these dudes, and they weren’t having any of it, and they had her cornered and… things were looking kinda bad for her. So, Brian saved her ass.”

“Jesus,” Tanya joined Michael to look Brian over. “Where’s Chloe now, then?”

“Rotting in hell, for all I care,” Emily spat. “Fuck that shitwhistle. I’m done with her. Done.”

“It’s my fault, too,” Kelly spoke up.

The sudden unfriendliness in the way Michael looked at her in response to that was almost heart-warming, because it revealed a layer of unexpected nuance to the guy. He wasn’t just some random jackass—or, he wasn’t only some random jackass; he drew firm lines around his friends and then didn’t budge on them. When he’d first laid eyes on her, he had teetered between eyeballing her body and bursting into laughter, presumably at the expense of some other friend Will, whose feelings for Emily were some open secret here. Watching Michael’s eyes go cold on her the moment Kelly staked some blame for what happened to Brian was meaningful, because a guy willing to set everything else aside to be protective of his friend made Michael worthy of being one of Brian’s friends.

“No, it’s not,” Emily shook her head. “Not really, so—”

“Chloe was provoking them, but at the same time…” Kelly frowned. “It’s not like we can just stand by and watch her get gang-raped, or something. I made Brian intervene. So, yes. It is my fault this happened.”

“Gang-raped?” Tanya blurted out. “What the hell was going on?!”

“Fucking hell,” Michael muttered, looking genuinely pissed that he hadn’t been there.

“There were just these guys there,” Kelly gave them an awkward shrug. “They’d been harassing this other girl we know, like they were trying to pull her into this building, when she didn’t want to go. Then, when we saw them again, Chloe was starting shit with them.”

“Because of course she was,” Emily’s expression soured even further. “Fucking twat was hounding Brian all weekend, too. Even tried to get us thrown out of the con! Went and cried rape on him, of all people. When obviously nothing anywhere near that happened between them.”

“She did not,” Tanya’s eyes went wide. “She said that?”

“She said everything she could, and every single fucking word of it was all just fabricated bullshit,” Emily blurted out. “One minute she’s like, I’m pregnant! The next she’s all—okay I’m not pregnant, but Brian hit me. We call B.S. on that, and she’s like, well okay, Brian’s a rapist, then. Yeah fucking right.”

“Chloe completely snapped,” Kelly nodded. “It was just one long series of psychotic episodes. I mean, I’ve only known Brian for one weekend, and I know beyond a doubt he would never ever do anything like that.”

“He wouldn’t,” Michael agreed.

“Brian definitely would not, no,” Tanya said. “She really said all of that?”

“She went off the deep end,” Emily sniffed. “Completely lost her marbles. So—yeah, I’m absolutely through with her. Just thinking about it all makes me so mad that I can’t even… I can’t even think straight anymore.”

“Then,” Michael paused, staring hard at Brian as he rubbed his jaw. “So, if she went and did all that… why the fuck would you try and get Brian to stand up for her? How did, did this wind up happening? Like—what the actual fuck? Jesus Christ.”

“I—I don’t really know,” Kelly answered, not sure what to say. “In the heat of the moment, I guess I just reacted. Brian wound up paying for it, and that’s on me. Maybe it would have been—I don’t know, karma or something, if Chloe had gone around crying wolf on rape and then just. Just blundered herself into these actual rapists. But, then at the same time—I can’t, we can’t just stand by and do nothing and watch someone get gang-raped. Even if it’s Chloe.”

“How did this all happen?” Tanya frowned. “When did this happen? Brian was discharged from a hospital, already? If you were there when all of it was going down in the first place, why aren’t you hurt?”

“Because,” Kelly swallowed as she tried to find words. “Because, I felt like only Brian could have made a difference. Because—I was afraid. Because—there is no real because. More and more I start to just regret it, anything I say is just excuses, in the end. You know? He got hurt when I pushed him to step in, it’s my fault, and I don’t think any amount of fucking sophistry would ever absolve me. Blame’s just on me. It was my bad, and he went and paid the price—and I’m going to make it up to him somehow. Don’t care how or what I have to do.”

“Still mostly Chloe’s fault,” Emily growled. “Don’t fucking care what anyone says.”

“Where the fuck is Chloe, then?!” Michael demanded.

“Well, she didn’t get away from it all scot-free,” Kelly muttered, deciding a plausible story on the spot. “She’s probably still in the hospital?”

“I think Rebecca stuck with her,” Emily made a face. “Rebecca’s the one that drove me out there to the con this time. Rebecca, she just, yeah. Doesn’t give up on people, no matter how shitty they are.”

“How is Brian out of the hospital already?” Tanya asked again. “What are his—what all happened with him? He’s not waking up?”

“Um,” Emily exchanged glances with Kelly. “So, long story, but turns out I was the emergency contact he wrote in, last time he got his license done? There was all this uh, bullshit I don’t even understand, with what his insurance would and wouldn’t cover, when this all happened.

“The gist of it is—he’s completely out of danger and in a stable condition, but, if he stays there in their long term ward thing, his insurance doesn’t exactly cover all of that, and it would maybe be this massive stupidly huge fucking bill he winds up with. So; yeah. Fuck that, right? If we can get him signed out to just recover at home, we’ll do that instead.”

“Emily…” Tanya stared at the girl. “Regardless, is it not better to have actual medical professionals caring for him? Surely there would be a… a legal settlement, with whoever did this to him?”

“Well, they all fucking scattered right when the police showed up,” Kelly explained, hurrying to cover for Emily. “No idea still if they even caught any of the bastards. So, uh, when Emily saw that the bill could wind up being five figures, and Brian might get stuck with it… yeah.”

“Christ,” Michael swore. “Goddamn bastards. Five figure medical bill, and for what? Last time I went in with a broken thumb, it cost me damn near two grand. So, after that, when I think I broke my pinky? Fuck it, just splinted it myself. Hockey tape and a chopstick. Fuck it.”

“It’s a little crooked,” Tanya mumbled under her breath.

“I remember,” Emily nodded, turning their attention back towards Brian’s prone figure with a gesture. “But, so… yeah. Rebecca works in nursing already anyways, she said she could take time off to come and keep checking up on him. The everyday care stuff Kelly and I can handle, I just bailed on Lucca Italiano, and Kelly’s transferring over to the Dollarydoos here in town.”

“Excuse me, but how did you two get together?” Tanya questioned. “Kelly and you.”

“Long story?” Kelly showed them a bitter smile. “Long story, but maybe a pretty great one? Aside from this, obviously. If it’s okay, we’d love to fill you all in, once Brian’s up and about, so he can tell his part in it. Retelling all that craziness will take a whole night. And, I still haven’t even met everyone.”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Emily said. “We don’t wanna like, try to manhandle him inside or halfway drag him in, so—Michael can you help us carry him inside? I’ve got a key, here.”

“Alright, yeah,” Michael said. “Sure. He’s okay to move, and all that? I’ll grab in under his arms.”

“Uhhh, just be careful with his head,” Emily said. “Concussion for sure, but they said he was okay so long as we just get him in and let him rest and uh, keep an eye on him.”

“Wouldn’t it be best for him to just be in the hospital?” Tanya asked again.

*     *     *

With surprising ease they got Brian inside and all the way through Brian’s apartment and onto his bed. Though he was heavy, it was mostly Brian’s height that made him cumbersome to move around, and between the three of them—Emily was excluded from ‘helping’ after getting in the way, and charged with getting the doors—they made it all happen in short order. Tanya had immediately noticed the abnormalities with Brian’s wrist, which thankfully was rigid with spell bullshit and stasis and not too obviously bent or broken.

Still. We’re only KINDA able to play that off, Kelly wanted to cover her face and let out a long sigh.

Her first impression of Brian’s apartment was that it was… nice. Certainly nicer than where she’d been living on Chelsea’s porch. Things weren’t too messy, nor were they too clean. There was a small amount of clutter here and there that made the place feel lived in, and Brian wasn’t some toy collector or into displaying anime posters all over the place. His place suited her tastes just fine, a last few tiny hold-out doubts that had been lingering were murdered in their cradle, and Kelly actually found herself looking forward to living here with Brian.

She just wanted him to wake up so they could talk. About everything.

“It doesn’t look okay,” Tanya insisted. “See? His wrist should just not look like that.”

They were for the moment crowded into the back room, hovering over Brian, and Kelly found herself surprised by how uncomfortable this made her. Emily she trusted, but though she knew these two were also Brian’s close friends, she didn’t know them and simply didn’t want others lingering around Brian while he was in any position of vulnerability.

“They said it was fine when we asked,” Emily deflected. “They did all their x-ray shit already. If he needed a splint or something, they would have gave him one. Right?”

“You should have ask for second opinion,” Tanya frowned, lapsing into a thicker accent as she grew more flustered. “There is no way this is fine.”

“Christ, ease up on it already,” Michael groaned. “You bitched and bitched and bitched about my pinky, too.”

“Your pinky finger is crooked,” Tanya exclaimed, jabbing his chest. “Should not be crooked; is. Because you’re stupid and stubborn. Brian’s wrist does not look okay. черт возьми! Look! See this? Match to his look of other wrist and see how different.”

“We’ll um, we’ll have Rebecca take another look at it,” Emily assured her. “I think she has the folder with the x-rays in it? Yeah, they’re with her.”

“Can Brian still drive forklift if they will break and reset bone and him recover all over again? No,” Tanya argued. “Does his work know about this in first of place?”

“Emily contacted them, right the night it happened,” Kelly said.

“Then, I called them again, and made sure to talk to whatever manager doofus guy,” Emily added. “Supposed to check back in with them again at the end of the week, or have Brian call, soon as he wakes up.”

“When is Brian wake up?” Tanya crossed her arms, looking uncomfortable with everything. “Much better to hear all of this things from him.”

“Well, sorry?” Emily said. “He’s sedated as fuck, and supposed to be resting. After that, it’s over-the-counter painkillers if and when he needs them.”

“Or under-the-counter ones, if he needs them,” Michael grunted. “Just say the word, soon as you know what you need.

“So funny,” Tanya made a face at her boyfriend. “Last thing need is Brian пристрастился к опиатам. Dumbass.”

“Babe. We don’t speak Mexican,” Michael joked without smiling, still not turning away from Brian. “Seriously though, Emily—you guys need stronger codeine for him, just let me know. I know a guy. Alright? No questions or judgment or nothin’.”

“If need, talk to Rebecca, then talk to hospital,” Tanya countered. “Not ever talk to тупица dumbass Michael. Okay? Emily?”

“Hey, it’s Brian,” Emily said, growing defensive. “Everything gets run by Rebecca first. We’re not fucking around.”

“Rebecca said all this is okay?” Tanya asked. “Him home stay? Him staying here at home, instead of in the hospital.”

“We talked all of it through with her,” Emily promised. “She knows. She’ll be by. You can talk with her if you want.”

“You call Brian’s parents?” Tanya pressed.

“Babe,” Michael warned.

“Brian’s parents never ever gave a fuck about him,” Emily hissed. “So; no, no I didn’t call them, because they have nothing fucking to do with him, and if I have anything to say about it, they never will. Ever.”

“Okay,” Tanya gave Emily a long look. “Emily, I’m just… worried. Okay? You’ll take good care of him.”

It was subtle, but Kelly could tell from the way Tanya’s eyes flicked back and forth that Tanya was already skeptical about the two of them being together. Tanya seemed to not even buy much of their story in the first place, but for now was tolerant because she believed Emily would put Brian’s interest first. As an outsider, it was hard for her to tell what Michael thought, as the big guy seemed prepared to roll with whatever bullshit they said, and then probably just ask Brian what the fuck was really going on later.

After another excruciating five minutes of them arguing over the same points and covering no new ground, Tanya and Michael finally gave them reluctant goodbyes, and left. Their nice to meet you again was more strained on its delivery now that they were aware of Brian’s predicament, and though they invited them out to a bonfire at Aunt Mattie’s place, Emily was quick to decline, citing the obvious: they were staying with Brian.

Duh.

“God damn,” Emily blew out a long breath as soon as they were gone. “Well, went better than I expected? Can’t believe they bought it.”

“Emily… they didn’t,” Kelly winced, sitting down on the edge of Brian’s bed and putting a hand on his shoulder. “At all. About anything. They don’t trust me because they don’t know me, and they figured you were just babbling nonsense. They’re probably calling Rebecca right now.”

“What? Nuh-uh,” Emily scowled. “No way. Shit. You’re probably right. Should probably text her a heads up if everyone’s gonna be throwing questions her way.”

“Yeah.”

“But, in the meantime…” Emily knelt down beside the bed next to Kelly so that she could examine Brian close up. “How much fucking longer ‘til we can just magically kiss him all better?”

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